The present invention relates to an improved nickel printing sleeve with hard rubber protective rims for preventing the cutting of the hands of workmen during handling and also preventing the splitting and crimping of the sleeve ends which could render the sleeves inoperable.
By way of background, nickel sleeves of about 0.005 and 0.007 inches thick are in common use in the printing industry for mounting on mandrels and carrying printing plates. Because of the sharp ends of the sleeves, it is not uncommon for workmen to be cut while handling them. In addition, because of the thinness of the sleeves, their ends are commonly susceptible to splitting and crimping which renders them useless. This is an economic waste, considering the fact that the sleeves are expensive. It is with overcoming the foregoing deficiencies of prior art nickel sleeves that the present invention is concerned.